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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Memories Of The Heart

She says I ruined her childhood with
"Kelly Kids" clolthes

I was cleaning Bailey's room recently, preparing for overnight guests, when I opened her closet door. I've written before about my empty nest and how I've dealt with that so I was not expecting the tears. As I stood there in the midst of her belongings a flood of memories washed over me...her childhood stared back at me from floor to ceiling.

There were her cheerleading outfits...middle school and high school...a little white blouse hung on the rack, size 6, with "Bailey" embroidered on its' Peter Pan collar. (Warning: never put your child's name on clothing in a visible location). Hanging in all their splendor...long forgotten prom and cotillion dresses...at one time the center of our lives as we sought the "perfect" dress...now, rarely noticed except by this momma. (ebay and I should become friends.)

The Closet of Memories

There were books and puzzles and shoes to go with aforementioned dresses and various other things left behind when she moved out. As I stood there thinking about her childhood, and the wonderful young woman she's become, I realized my tears were different than last year, I'm different. So...I gently shut the door and wiped away my tears.

My all time favorite prom dress

That's what God can do with our brokenness, our hurt, our pain. If we give it to Him, He can transform us, heal us and change us. He can take our memories and turn them into cause for joy.

I've tried to bury mine for so long and now that I've cleaned out the closet of my own personal memories, I can finally begin to heal.

A new blogger friend wrote a post recently about how God had transformed satanic tattoos into something He could redeem for His glory. It's beautifully written and reminds us how God wants to bind up the hurts of the broken, the bruised and the battered. Here is the linkwww.mypatchworkheart.org, go to Tattoo Renewal-Revisited or June 17, 2013. It is an amazing story! I get to meet the author of the blog this weekend, along with several other amazing women with stories of how God has changed their lives at She Speaks in Charlotte, North Carolina.

He wants to heal us and give us new memories...change us and transform the way we view ourselves, but more importantly, the way we see Him. He wants us to see Him as the way to life, real life, abundant life. It will change the way we do everything.

So, what does this mean for me? I'm slowly, but surely beginning to gently close the door on old memories.

I waited patiently for the Lord;

He turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,

out of the mud and mire;

he set my feet on a rock

and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear

and put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-3

Peace and blessings,
Cindy

P.S. She Speaks is a Writers/Speakers Conference for Women hosted annually by Proverbs 31 Ministries in Charlotte, NC.